MEDIA REACTION VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY

UNCLAS TOKYO 000865 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Friday morning's Yomiuri front-paged GOJ plans to begin withdrawing GSDF troops from the southern Iraqi city of Samawah by the end of March and move all the deployed forces to Kuwait by the end of May. ¶1. "Accidental Shooting May Reduce Vice President Cheney's Influence" The business daily Nihon Keizai's Washington correspondent Kato commented (2/17): "Vice President Cheney has been in a bind following the delay in announcing that he accidentally shot his friend while hunting quail at a Texas ranch. The media and the Democrats have been leveling broadsides at the vice president, rekindling suspicions that he might have been involved in the leak of a classified document in a bid to seek support for the war in Iraq. ¶2. "If this incident reduces the influence of Cheney, who has wielded considerable authority in both domestic and foreign policy, it could rock the foundations of the Bush administration.... The authorities have concluded that the shooting was an accident and do not plan to file charges. Senate Minority Leader Reid has lambasted the vice president, asking: 'Are you saying there is no need for the American people to know what is happening?' The media have also taken a critical tone. Behind this 'Cheney-bashing' is dissatisfaction with the vice president's secretiveness." SCHIEFFER